This thesis is a report on the results or four psychological tests, applied to two groups or workers in Port Elizabeth factories; the one group consisting of European, the other of Coloured workers. The abilities selected for testing were believed to be necessary, to some extent, in certain Industrial operations.

Organisations today, regardless of their function, exist in an environment that is characterised by change. In order to maintain a competitive advantage it is vital that organisations manage such change and are sensitive to their human resource. It is imperative for organisations to understand and explore the factors that impact on employee satisfaction and overall organisational performance. The hospitality industry is an industry that is notorious for low levels of pay and long working hours, and often dissatisfied employees. This research focused on a hotel, that is part of an international chain of hotels, which has recently undergone a rebranding process (a change from within). This research aimed to assess and explore factors that impact on levels of employee satisfaction and organisation/hotel performance, in other words it aimed to 'diagnose' the hotel's current status. The research was conducted in two phases. Phase one made use of a widely used measure of job satisfaction, the job descriptive index (JDI), that looked at five facets of job satisfaction namely: pay, opportunity for promotion, co-workers, supervision and the nature of work. Phase two further explored the results of the JDI (staff being very dissatisfied with pay and promotions opportunity) and further explored other areas of the organisation/hotel with the use of an organisational development model, Weisbord's Six-Box Model (1990). The 'boxes' included areas of purpose, structure, relationships, leadership, rewards and helpful mechanisms. These areas were explored with staff using focus groups. Heads of departments (management) and the deputy general manager of the hotel were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format, exploring similar issues to those researched with staff. Results indicated problems in the hotel with regard to purpose, a severe lack of communication and staff feeling they have little chance for promotion as well as pay structures being perceived as unfair. The overall leadership at the hotel was described as erratic, and relationships between management revealed high levels of mistrust. Due to limited research in the South African hospitality industry, much of the literature available is based on experiences in the United States of America or the United Kingdom. For this research, the researcher had few previous published findings and was unsure of the many issues that could possibly arise. However, the intervention was enjoyable and recommendations have been provided for the hotel to consider, so the hotel can go from "good to great".

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / See the attached abstract below

Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public Sector Monitoring and Evaluation) to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand September 2017 / While the literature shows that local government is the closest tier of government to the citizens of South Africa, the communities are denied some benefits of its existence, resulting in service delivery protests that are largely attributed to the lack of public accountability. It is therefore the aim of the study to understand how South African ward councillors understand, perceive and use Monitoring & Evaluation mechanisms to instil public accountability. A structured interview guide in the form of an online self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 201 ward councillors. From the study questions, the following alternative hypotheses were tested using regression analysis and T-test: i. There is a positive relationship between the knowledge of public accountability of M&E mechanisms. ii. There is a positive relationship between perceptions of public accountability and usage of M&E mechanisms. iii. There is a difference in the use of M&E mechanisms betweengender (males and females) to foster public accountability within local government. Contrary to expectations, the study findings revealed that there was no relationship (0.431<0.05) between the knowledge of public accountability and usage of M&E mechanisms. Similarly, only 02.60% of the variation of the usage of M&E mechanisms (dependent variable) could be explained by perceptions of M&E mechanisms (independent variable). Lastly, the findings revealed that the observed difference between the samples means (4.0-4.34) was close and not convincing enough to suggest that the usage of M&E mechanisms between female and male ward councillors differed significantly. In all the findings alternative hypotheses were rejected and null hypotheses accepted. In conclusion, it is evident that ward councillors understand the concepts relating to public accountability; however, the knowledge has not been comprehended fully and utilised to instil public accountability within local government. An in-depth analysis on public accountability practices within local government in South Africa will strengthen scientific knowledge on public accountability. / MT 2018

Thesis (MTech (Human Resource Management)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2009 / This thesis explores the barriers/constraints that the SMME may experience whilst attempting to recover their skills levies from the wholesale and retail SETA (W&RSETA). Skills development legislation was introduced in South Africa to address the previous disparities in education and training. The Skills Development Levies Act (SOLA) of 1999 established the introduction of skills levies. The SOLA stipulated that all companies with an annual payroll in excess of R 500 000 would be required to pay skills levies to the South African Revenue Service (SARS). SARS then distributes the funds to the relevant sector education and training authority (SETA). The company would then have the option of recovering up to seventy percent of its skills levies, provided that it had implemented various skills development and training initiatives throughout the year. While larger companies may be more attuned in terms of recovering these levies, small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) may experience difficulties in doing so. The research design included a descriptive study of both qualitative and quantitative components. The investigation was conducted by interviewing twenty stakeholders within the wholesale and retail sector. The stakeholders were divided into two categories, namely SMMEs and the assistants to SMMEs. The information was analysed within the context of the twenty stakeholders interviewed who were located in the Westem Cape area and registered with the W&RSETA. The findings indicated that the main constraints that SMMEs may be experiencing whilst attempting to recover their skills levies from the W&RSETA included: a lack of understanding of the grant recovery system; lack of time; burdensome administration; a lack of finance; and a lack of communication and support from the W&RSETA This research would be a pilot study that would provide a basis for a future study which may seek to provide practical recommendations to policy makers both in govemment and the private sector, in terms of assisting levy paying SMMEs within the W&RSETA to recover skills levies.

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Workers absenteeism is a problem for many companies in South Africa. The absenteeism of workers affects the productivity of companies. The social worker in the industry plays a key role in the managing of workers absenteeism. One of the goals of social work in the industry is to enhance the productivity of workers. Consequently there is a lack of specifically South African research on the social factors that influence worker absenteeism and the role of the social worker to manage worker absenteeism. A survey of international literature forms the starting point for the research undertaken to fill this gap. The influence of social factors on worker absenteeism is described. Three worker absenteeism approaches, namely economical, psigological and sociological approaches are being used to describe the social factors that influence worker absenteeism. The literature view also offers management strategies to help combat worker absenteeism. In the study there is being focused on the female worker because the empirical study takes place at a company that manufactures clothes. The empirical study describes the social factors that influence the absenteeism of female workers working in the manufacturing company. Proposals are made concerning ways to combat worker absenteeism, taking into account the important role the social worker in the industry plays in managing worker absenteeism. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Werknemerafwesigheid is vir baie fabrieke en firmas in Suid-Afrika 'n ernstige probleem. Die werksafwesigheid van werknemers veroorsaak dat die produktiwiteit van fabrieke en firmas beïnvloed word. Die maatskaplike werker in die bedryf kan 'n belangrike rol speel in die hantering van werknemerafwesigheid, omdat dit 'n doelstelling van maatskaplike werk in die bedryf is om die produktiwiteit van werknemers te verhoog. Derhalwe is daar 'n gebrek aan spesifieke Suid-Afrikaanse navorsing oor die maatskaplike faktore wat werknemerafwesigheid beïnvloed, en wat die maatskaplike werker se rol is om werksafwesigheid te beperk. 'n Literatuurstudie word aangebied as vertrekpunt vir die navorsing wat onderneem is om genoemde leemte aan navorsing te vul. Die invloed van maatskaplike faktore op werknemerafwesigheid word bespreek. Drie benaderings tot werknemerafwesigheid, naamlik ekonomiese, sielkundige en sosiologiese benaderings word geondersoek waaronder die maatskaplike faktore wat werknemerafwesigheid beïnvloed, bespreek word. Die literatuuroorsig bied ook bestuurstrategieë om die werksafwesigheid van werknemers te bekamp. Daar word spesifiek op die vroulike werknemer gefokus omdat die empiriese ondersoek by 'n klerevervaardigingsfabriek plaasvind. Die empiriese ondersoek handel oor die maatskaplike faktore wat die werksafwesigheid van vroulike fabriekarbeiders beïnvloed. Na aanleiding van die bevindinge van die ondersoek word aanbevelings vir die hantering van werknemerafwesigheid gemaak. Dit geskied met inagneming van die belangrike rol wat die maatskaplike werker in die bedryf kan speel in die hantering van werknemerafwesigheid.

M. Com. (Development Economics) / In recent years unemployment has received considerable international attention from scholars, policy makers, and labour practitioners, because it has reduced economic welfare, reduced output, and eroded human capital. Researchers argue that South Africa is faced with structural unemployment because of the insufficient demand for low-skilled resources and the sufficient demand for highly skilled resources. However, in terms of highly skilled resources, young South Africans have become better educated over the last decade, resulting in a significant growth in the size of the graduate labour force. This growth emanates particularly from the fact that the majority of the graduate labour force has completed their tertiary education. Despite this growth, graduate unemployment appears to be rising along with the overall unemployment rate. The aim of this study is to sensitise policy authorities to the impact of graduate unemployment on the economy by highlighting the perceived causes of graduate unemployment in South Africa’s banking sector. The research was conducted with the aid of a survey administered to two groups, namely a graduate group and a human resource (HR) manager group. The result derived from the research shows that the quality of tertiary institutions which relates to educational standards and culture, the quality of education, high expectations, a shortage of skills, a lack of work experience, and a lengthy process of application and job search are perceived to be the possible causes of graduate unemployment in South Africa. The study makes several tentative recommendations relating to what can possibly be done to reduce graduate unemployment. Among the recommendations proposed are the improvement of the quality of education and institutions, a well-planned career guidance mechanism, and a graduate recruitment subsidy.

No description available.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing 2016 / Since 1994, the number of South Africans who have the ability to hire domestic help has increased due to the economic inclusion of the African majority. This research has been conducted amongst South Africa’s middle to upper class (also referred to as LSM 7-10 or LSM A). A sizeable number of them have a monthly household income of R50 000 and above and another significant number is made up of business owners. The aim of the study is to assess the extent to which domestic workers’ perceived brand quality of homecare products influence the brand loyalty of the same as far as their employers are concerned. The data collection of this study was exclusively conducted online for the simple reason that the target population of the study is made up of office bound and busy people. A large majority of the respondents in fact spend 4-5 hours in their homes per day during the week. Therefore expecting them to fill in a questionnaire and submit to the researcher would have been a challenge. The research’s point of departure was based on the assumption that employers of domestic workers are not the end users of the products under discussion as their lifestyle did not permit this. However, the fact that the employers are the eventual buyers of the products presented the researcher with a point of curiosity. The key finding of the research was that there was a very strong link between Employer Brand Association and Employer Brand Loyalty. However, there was a weak influence of Employer Brand Awareness on Employer Brand Loyalty. These findings therefore ultimately suggest that domestic worker Brand Quality perceptions, will influence the Brand Equity of homecare products in South Africa. Overall, the Domestic Worker Perceived Brand Quality of homecare products had a positive influence on Employer Brand Awareness and Employer Brand Associations / GR2018

In this study, the sex-role identities adopted by young, middle-aged, and older working females South African were compared. The rationale of the study is based on changes which occurred within South Africa with regards to gender, race, education, as well as work place participation for women. Two hundred females from two South African organisations participated in the study. Two self-report questionnaires were utilised: a demographic questionnaire and Bem’s Sex-Role Inventory. Data was interpreted statistically, by means of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and frequencies. Results revealed that younger women have adopted more masculine characteristics than middle-aged and older females. Results further indicated that black women are more likely to reflect sex-role identity changes on age than white women, given that changes in the South African society many have been more impactful on them. Results on the levels of masculinity amongst the younger group of females are consistent with a study done on working females in India.